When the apostle Paul wrote what is our first epistle to the Corinthians, he was concerned about the state of the Ecclesia. There were factions—a Paul party, an Apollos party, a Peter party — and even a Christ party; there was immorality; there were marriage problems, and a number of other serious problems. He thought that he ought to go there again. He appears to have told the brethren of his intention more than once. His distractors in the Ecclesia affected not to believe him. In his letter, he wrote, “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come unto you, but I will come shortly, if the Lord wills.” In preparation for his visit, he sent Timothy in advance of his coming. “For this cause, have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church” (chap 4; 17-19).
These verses find a counterpart in the history recorded in Acts 14; 21, 22, “After these things were ended (progress in Ephesus), Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent unto Macedonia, two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia (Minor) for a season.”
A comparison of the two passages suggests that, though the epistle does not say so, it appears from the record in Acts, independently of the epistle, that Timothy was sent, not only to Macedonia, but also into Achaia, of which Corinth was the capital city. If the Acts writer had been copying from the letter, he would have sent Timothy to Corinth by name. In both passages, epistle and history, the journeys of the apostle and his disciples are linked.
Acts 19:22 says that Eratus accompanied Timothy on his journey, but he is not mentioned in the letter. “2 Tim. 6:4 suggests that Erastus was a Corinthian. In this case he was only returning home. Timothy was really Paul’s messenger.
The question arises, “Did Timothy take Paul’s letter to Corinth. 1 Cor. 16; 10.11
seems to supply the answer, “Now, if Timotheus comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren.”
The expression “if Timotheus comes” implies that Timothy was not present when the letter was opened and that he had not reached Corinth before the letter was received. “I look for him with the brethren” implies that Timothy had left Paul on his way to Corinth before the letter was written, and that he was not expected to arrive in Corinth before the Ecclessia had received the letter.
There is a gap in the record, but this is filled up by Acts 19:21, 22. The verses explain that Timothy went first to Macedonia on his way to Corinth.
The comaprison of the Acts and the Epistle indicates complete agreement; clearly without any deliberate attempt on the part of the writers, who wrote in different places and at different times, to produce it:
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One